Best Adult Songs for Children

As an early childhood music teacher, I’ve had a few surprises. One is that children are extremely imaginative. Like when I asked my kiddies what was missing from our “Wheels On the Bus” rendition, one boy told me we had forgotten the octagon (he meant stop sign). But even with the amazingly cute antics of young children, I’ve been bored lately with myself. It’s easy for me to fall back into tried-and-true songs when I have an extra five minutes to fill. I’ve probably played “Wheels on the Bus” in 75% of my classes because it is an easy song, known to everyone, and is really flexible.

In order to avoid the music doldrums, I’ve been on the hunt to find adult songs that are kid-friendly. It helps me expand my repertoire and avoid getting burnt out on traditional songs. Plus, parents are encouraged to get involved when they can sing along to songs that don’t make them feel like preschoolers. Without further ado, here are my top songs written for adults, but great for children too!

 

Top Adult Songs for Children

 

“You and I” by Ingrid Michaelson

A big hit because of the catchy melody and simple ukulele arrangement. Just be sure to rewrite the line about bunnies…

“We Are Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes

A song about going to school and making friends. Lyrics are really relatable for school-age children.

“Sway”by Michael Buble

A jazzy little song with about dancing that kids and their parents can’t resist.

“Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles

Everyone knows this song. And the chorus can’t get any easier so there are no excuses for not singing along.

“In the Jungle” by The Tokens

Another familiar song to everyone. Kids love singing “a-weem a-wep” over and over. I like to ask kids to choose an animal to put in the Jungle a la “Old McDonald”.

“All I Want is You” by Barry Louis Polisar

Many will recognize this as the opening song to the movie Juno. Lots of great nature imagery and simple chord progression.

“Over the Rainbow” by The Hawaiian Rainbow Singers

An upbeat version of the original, again with ukulele. Watchers of the TV show Glee will be familiar with this rendition.

“I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” by Dean Martin

What’s more child-friendly than bubbles? This song is an oldie, but a goodie.

“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley

A nice laid-back song with a cool, reggae vibe.

“Twist and Shout” by the Beatles

Everything you need to know is in the title; this song is about moving and being loud. Both things children love to do.

“What I Like About You” by The Romantics

Repetition is a hallmark of children’s music and this song features it without becoming too much. Also great for music and movement activities.

Page with Comments

  1. Nice list :) I was searching for a few songs for my daughter to learn, so I did a google search and this was the first list I found… pretty nice :) Thanks for sharing, saved me a lot of time.

Comments are closed.